Mobile Money Fees Across East Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda Compared
Mobile money isn't just a convenience across East Africa, it's the primary financial system for most people in the region. But how much it actually costs to move that money depends enormously on which side of a border you're standing on. Four countries, four mobile money markets, and four completely different answers to the same regulatory question: should governments tax or cap what these platforms can charge? Here's how the fees, and the politics behind them, actually compare. Kenya: Fees Harmonised, Case Closed (For Now) Kenya's mobile money story is largely settled. Since 2024, sending money to M-Pesa, Airtel Money, or T-Kash costs exactly the same regardless of which network you're on, capped at KES 108, and Kenya's Parliament rejected a 2026 proposal to add 16% VAT on top of those fees. M-Pesa still dominates the market with roughly 89% of subscriptions, but the fee fight itself is essentially over, competition has simply shifted to credit product...
